


A Split Tree

by LynDoesArtAndStuff



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Dreamtale, F/M, Polyamory
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-19
Updated: 2020-01-04
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:13:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,651
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21862006
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LynDoesArtAndStuff/pseuds/LynDoesArtAndStuff
Summary: Just two protectors and you.Becoming friends, developing crushes, a little affection here and there, and some magic.
Relationships: Dream Sans/Reader, Dream/Reader, Nightmare sans/reader, Nightmare/Reader, Sans (Undertale)/Reader
Comments: 36
Kudos: 205





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This may be a short story, not sure yet.

“Do not touch them, they are supposedly very sacred.” You opened your mouth to respond but they cut you off, “ You might mess them up with your weird anxiety vibes or something.”

Looking down to your fiddling hands, a small ‘oh’ barley passed by your lips as the group continued on to the magical tree that apparently grew two different fruit.

—

“Oh guys guys! Look it’s right there!”

“Whoa no way they really are golden!”

There were, in fact, gold apples hanging in the tree. How’s that natural?

“I wonder if they taste good-“ the group in front of you continued murmuring back and forth.

You looked at the apples closest to you, determining that they do look like a solid gold, maybe they were heavy too?

You weren’t going to find out.

Your head snapped up from the apple as someone appeared.

“Oh ah please refrain from eating any,” a bright skeleton monster stepped towards the group.

He wore a crown and a cape, and was overall adorable, but your eyes moved pass him and towards the other side of the tree. For some reason you felt really happy to see this stranger.. it was slightly unsettling how much you wanted to just hug the skeleton.

You shrugged off the feeling and looked away from the tree.

Wasn’t there supposed to be two different types?

You glanced back to the group who were all listening to the skeleton, who was very animatedly bragging about the golden fruit, and how happy he was that your group had visited today. Something about being bored.

No one would notice if you just looked, and no one would care if you stepped away for a moment, right?

—

Your eyes widened as you took in the other side of the tree. Beautiful black apples perched on its leaves. 

You noticed a few on the ground and crouched down to take a better look, careful not to touch them. 

“Whoa, they look like tiny little dark purple galaxies swirling in the endless black of like my soul or something deep and meaningful like that.” You mumbled to yourself all edgy like, only half joking, as you sat down completely and began to admire the darker side of the tree.

Your eyes went back to the group who seemed to still be talking about the golden apples with the skeleton who made you feel weird and then you wondered if he’d come tell you about these ones as well. Not that you wanted him to come over and talk to you one on one.. yea.

Sitting and waiting wouldn’t hurt, right?

Why did this tree grow two very different colored fruit, anyways? You were feeling very pensive about the whole thing. Like yea sure, magic exists, but why would this be so special? Shouldn’t the fact that magic is common just make this tree uninteresting? But it was split directly down the middle, that wasn’t common among nonmagical trees.. and you had yet to see any magical trees like this one.. maybe that’s why it was special? One of its kind?

—

Time was ticking by, the group seemed to disappear when you finally looked back to where you had last seen them. 

Your eyes widened for a second as you searched around your immediate perimeter. 

You had literally just heard the skeleton still explaining, you sworn that it was only a minute ago. You were always one to get lost in thought though...

Letting out a sigh, you came to the conclusion that they had once again ditched you. 

That’s fine. You guessed...

A little bit of quiet would be good... ah it still kind of stung, even if you weren’t surprised.

You leaned back and just stared up at the tree, that bright skeleton was apparently never going to come and tell you about these apples... it was weird that he hadn’t come to check on you? Wasn’t he a protector of this tree? Whatever that means.. you’d think he’d be more watchful.

A soft noise of something falling and then landing on the ground beside your head made you jump up and spin around to assess what had just happened.

“Why are you still here?” Another skeleton in purple clothing stood there with his arms crossed. He also wore a crown but it held a moon on it.

“Uh, pardon?” 

“Your pals left a while ago. You’ve been staring at my apples for a long time... are you going to steal one or something?” He just rose an eyebrow at you. 

You nearly choked on your words, “me??steal??” But you recovered, “ I just thought they were pretty! I wouldn’t steal them!”

The skeleton looked confused, “pretty?” His eye sockets seemed to hold distrust.

“To look at.” You explained, fiddling with your shirt sleeve. Why did you feel so nervous? You weren’t usually like this..

He didn’t seem convinced. 

You changed the topic.

“Was that brightly dressed skeleton man your brother? You look an awful lot like him..”

His eye lights?? Flicked behind you before he sat down, “yes he is. His name is Dream, do you want to see him? Is that why you’re here?.”

I felt puzzled “uh, no, just my..” your eyes went back to where your group HAD been, it was still empty,”.. my friends and I were looking at the apples.”

He still didn’t look convinced, so you decided to try and talk some more, “well what’s your name then?”

He looked back to you, “Why do you want to know?” 

“Can’t a girl ask a dark stranger with pretty apples their name, or is it a crime?” You bit your lip slightly, a nervous habit. Then you rambled, “but I can put two and two together, and I’m usually really good at guessing things.. like scary good... is your name Moon or Stars or Nightmare or something?” 

“Yea, sure.” He had a calculated look on him now, “did my brother tell you?” Bingo Bongo, so his name was at least one of those, you thought.

“No I haven’t spoken to him, but I figured since his name was dream and he had a sun theme and you have a moon one, that maybe you guys had this thing going on with names, I don’t know. I’m sorry, I talk too much sometimes. “ you shut your mouth, still gnawing at your lower lip, and looked away, silently hoping he didn’t think you were a loser who got ditched for talking too much. Because that’s not why you get ditched... well not the whole reason.

A while went by before he spoke, “Not many actually like to look at my side of the tree.” He shrugged, “it’s better that way, though.”

You turned to him, taking in his soft purple outfit, thinking that he didn’t look like a nightmare, but also didn’t look like Stars.. maybe he was moon?. “Why do you say that?” You thought the gold was beautiful, but these apples look just as nice. 

Why would someone come to a tree of two fruit and only want to admire one?

“My brother and I, we are the protectors of this tree. My brother watches over the golden apples, and I watch over the.. dark ones. It makes my life easier, my brother always has to make people keep a distance from his side. I never even really have to try.” He mumbled something to himself after, you didn’t pry though.

You looked over to the spot you had seen Dream approach your group at, and when you thought about it, it did seem like he was kind of blocking the group off from coming closer... while also distracting them with information about it. He hadn’t paid much attention to your little sneak off though. Maybe you were just invisible.

You hummed and looked back to Nightmare, “do you like your apples?”

He rose an eyebrow bone at you, “You ask a lot of questions, kid.” 

“Kid? I’m not that young.” 

“Young enough to not know about what’s so important about this tree, and why no one should touch the apples besides my brother and I.” He leaned back on his hands, admiring the tree. You only slightly noticed how he advised the question but you fully took in how he seemed to have a taunting tone. Endearing.

“Then, would you tell me about it?” You started to curl your fingers in the grass. 

“I’m not a tour guide.”His voice seemed clipped. You felt like you messed up, said something rude, or maybe your whole existence offended him.

“I, uh, didn’t think you were one..” you felt embarrassed immediately once you stammered, “I’m sorry.”

A small thud caused the both of you to turn to his brother, who was quickly walking up with a large grin on his face.

“Nightmare! Who’s this? I didn’t get to talk to you with your friends?” He grinned and then looked puzzled before he looked around for a few seconds. “Why did your friends go and you haven’t?” 

You could feel yourself close in as you hugged your legs to your chest, you could lie and say they went on ahead and that you’d go catch up.. or you could tell him the truth that they weren’t really friends and that they ditched you.. but when you looked towards his brother and then back to him you just couldn’t lie or make them pity you. You really didn’t want them to pity you, so you looked back down to the grass, muttering a “I don’t know.” 

It was sincere, and not a lie, but it made Dream’s smile lose its shine. Nightmare just rolled his eyes as he understood what had happened, typical humans, always being assholes.

Dream came to your side and sat down, kind of uncomfortably close for a stranger, “well, I guess we can just sit here while we wait for them!” 

He seemed chipper but still, there was a hint of something in that tone.

You wouldn’t look any deeper than that. You knew pitty, and you didn’t like to acknowledge it.

——

“What would happen if someone did eat the apples?”

“Death-“”-powers” “HEY” they spoke at the same time, they were so much of brothers that you couldn’t even stop yourself from giggling slightly at the duo. 

It had been a few hours since you were ditched, and honestly it was kind of nice. 

“If a human tried to eat an apple, and they didn’t have the purest of intentions, they would either die, or”

Nightmare interrupted, “yea yea, become a husk.” He waved Dreams worrying tone away, “But if one of us were to eat one, we’d grow even more powerful. Depending on the reason and our intentions.” He seemed very excited while talking about this.

You leaned back on your hands, looking up at the tree, “does it ever get boring? Like having to stay here and keep watch.. do you guys take shifts? Do you guys even need food?” You had been talking to them for the entire time you guys had been ‘waiting’, you kept trying to excuse yourself at first, but Dream wasn’t letting you leave without your friends. You didn’t have the heart to tell him that they wouldn’t be coming back for you.

Nightmare seemed to shift away from the conversation, he had done this every time he didn’t wanna answer or got uncomfortable. But every time he wouldn’t answer, Dream would make sure to. You figured they were both kind of lonely.

“We were made to protect this tree, and it does get a little.. grueling sometimes, but we are the only ones who can.” He explained, but your eyes kept going back to Nightmare, you caught him rolling his eyes. “As for shifts, sometimes one of us will leave to get or go do something, which leads to your next question, we do eat! I love going to the shop, my brother doesn’t do most of the errands but he likes the book stores! He’s always been into reading, I prefer bird watching.-“ Dream seemed to get lost taking about their hobbies.

You took the time to fully look at Nightmare, leaning closer to him, “books huh?” He looked to you, then crossed his arms. “I like books,” you said softly, then turned back to be able to see them both, “and bird watching is pretty fun, you guys should get a bird watching book so you can both enjoy it together.” 

Dream stopped talking, they both looked at you like you had multiple heads- oh wait some monsters do- well they looked at you like you said something crazy. “What? You guys haven’t done that before? Or was it just a bad idea?” 

Dream suddenly leaned forward grabbing your hands and pulling you into a hug, “that’s the best idea I’ve ever heard in my entire life!” He enthusiastically pushed you back and into Nightmare who let out a small protest, and then he wrapped his arms around the both of you, Nightmare still trying to pull back. 

After a few moments of squishing, Dream let the both of you go, “I’ll be back!” He rushed off, a staff popping out of no where and into his hand as he ran. 

You were still leaning into Nightmare, so you began to pull back but stopped when you felt his arms go to hug you as well. Looking up as bet as you could, you noticed his cheeks were purple. He mumbled something. 

“Wha-“ 

“I said thanks.. for making my brother so happy.” He let go of you, but you pressed forward and patted his back as you hugged him.

“He seems pretty happy all the time-“ 

“He is, but not like that..” 

“Oh.”

Every time he talked you could feel the vibrations on your chest along side the thrumming of his magic. It was so weird, most monsters had the thrum but apparently skeleton monsters didn’t have much to hide theirs behind.. it was pleasant.

He said something but you couldn’t really hear, your eyes slipped shut a bit, “you’re surprisingly comfortable, ya know?” And you blinked your heavy lids once.. twice.. 

And suddenly soft snorts started up, Nightmare tensed up. Had a human really just fallen asleep on him?

What does one do in that kind of situation? 

He decided it would be best if he didn’t move. He became as still as a stone statue, but slowly, he too fell asleep, his head resting on your own. 

Apparently, humans were comfy too.


	2. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Apples to apples.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Question of the chapter- 
> 
> Who is your favorite?   
> Dream or Nightmare?
> 
> And do you prefer Nightmare before or after goopy apple ?

There were hands grabbing at my body, pulling me down.

Further...

Further.......

Even Further, but never farther-

I wasn’t really feeling them but I knew they were there.

I couldn’t even scream, it felt like every time I opened my mouth there were slimy appendages slithering down my throat and silencing me.

Everything was just so dark.

Was.. was this a nightmare?

It stayed like that for a while, darkness and the crushing feeling of loneliness and desperation suffocating me. The despair was almost overbearing, I felt like I had been consumed whole, traveling through the belly of the beast.

It reminded me, strangely enough, of an apple? Wait- what? That doesn’t make sense.

My attempts to scream slowly faded away, my energy had left me.

What was the point of fighting?

What was I fighting?

It’s so dark here, I don’t want to be here.

These thoughts didn’t even feel like mine anymore.

Where do I end and the darkness begins?

My eyes searched for any form of light in this void. There was none.

Was the grip tightening or loosening?

...

...

...

I don’t want to be alone.

Please, don’t leave me alone..!

Thoughts swirled in my head, and I just felt like I was floating in the nothingness. Or maybe I didn’t exist at all. Had it always been like this?

These feelings were definitely no longer my own. Were they ever?

The hands and tentacle-like appendages uncurled from me, slowly removing the only thing I could feel. Which only reminded me that, I was, in fact, something.

I tried to beg them not to leave me here, anyone please don’t leave me here.

I just couldn’t speak.

A light, alongside laughter echoed in the void.

It was such a stark contrast to the emotional emptiness I had felt before.

That’s it... This had to be some kind of weird dream.

My eyes could now see and they searched out the hands and such that had once held me. Turning away from the light I could see..

...

...

...something.. squirming and trying to make itself smaller as the light grew closer.

I could almost make out- ap-

The shock of something new touching me nearly made me cry out, but suddenly I was awake.

——

“(Y/n), you awake yet? I wasn’t even gone for long, silly! How’d you fall asleep?” Dreams face came into focus as I blinked away my tiredness. He was on his knees in front of me.

“What? Asleep-“ ... had I really -

He excitedly looked around, “where’s Nightmare? Look- look, I got a book like you mentioned!” He shook the bird book in front of himself before bringing it to his chest in a hug. A pair of binoculars gleamed on the ground next to him.

His smile seemed like it radiated light and all things good.

It made me wanna smile. Cliche as it may seem..

I just looked at him, blinking, trying to think. “Book?” My eyes went to the ground beside me where my hand was, it felt weird, had I slept on it? Then I looked back up, wiping my eyes clean of the last remainder of sleep.

Dream looked at me still smiling, but expectedly. Oh right he said something, “Uh- right right book. And- actually,” I looked up at the tree, noticing a small purple patch in between its leaves, “I think your brother went up in the branches, I can’t really remember?”

...What did Nightmare’s smile look like?

They were pretty similar.. did it radiate the same light? I

Internally i somehow doubted it...

I had definitely fallen asleep, but all I remember is talking to Nightmare.. did I fall asleep while we talked?

Oh nice, now I seem disinterested in what we were talking about- wait what was the last thing we talked about?

“The book! Remember?” Dream asked, as I apparently had voiced my last thought out loud. “For Nightmare and I to spend more time together! And you! If- if you want?” Dream asked suddenly shy.

I gave him a soft grin, “of course, if you guys want me to. I don’t want to bother you guys when you already have so much to do.” I trailed off motioning to the tree.

Still I was dissatisfied, I didn’t know what the last thing just Nightmare and I had talked about.

I could feel eyes on me, and assumed it was him.

Dream leaned in and hugged me, “You couldn’t be a bother, even if you tried. Your soul shines so beautifully, I can tell how good of a person you are just from that alone!”

A thump behind me, alerted of the other skeleton. He seemed to like just jumping down. That can’t be good for his bones.

Maybe he just thought it was cool?

He did look pretty cool..

Nightmare was now standing beside us, his arms crossed, “We’ve talked about this.. you can’t just-“

“I know I know! But I can’t help it! It’s practically shin-“

“You think I can’t see that? It doesn’t matter, you have to make sure before just looking in. You know the rules.” I was lost as Nightmare scolded Dream.

.....

Souls? Monsters talked about souls a lot. What’s wrong with seeing a soul?

I tried to think about what I had read about souls.

They were the makeup of your entire being, right?

Hm, my thoughts continued on as Dream stood and the two of them started talking but I couldn’t really find it in myself to listen. I was so fixated on what the deal with souls was.

“Sometimes it just slips, I really didn’t mean to. I’d never do something to harm our friend.” Dreams words suddenly seemed to fade back into my head.

“Friend? We just met her. You can’t just trust everyone you meet.” Nightmare scoffed and straightened his back.

...

...

...Oh ouch that hurt, even if it was true.

Talking to them had been so nice. Guess I should have expected this....

Dreams face fell, and his cheeks puffed out for a second, as if he was going to refute it, but Nightmare gave him no time.

I slowly started to slink away from the two as Nightmare started to further scold..

I didn’t want to be such a bothersome person to them. I had just met and I had already upset them...

I guess the others were right about me needing to not let my weird vibes mess with the fruit..

——

Sighing as I closed the door behind me, I slid down my door, thinking about the pretty apples and the even prettier skeletons that protected them.

...Why had I let myself get so comfortable with the two, and why had I fallen asleep while talking to one.. he probably thought I was a jerk.. that’s why he didn’t want his brother saying I was friend material..

I puffed out my cheeks, pulled my knees closer to my chest. This wouldn’t really change anything in my life. I was fine before I met those two. I’ll be fine now. I just wanted to sleep for a while, but I wasn’t tired...

ugh why had I fallen asleep there?

My eyes had been unfocused on the interior of my house for a while, but finally I took in the cottage.. it was a little messy..

.........

maybe I should clean?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys had lovely holidays. My brothers birthday is in a few days, so Ff preparing for that.
> 
> Also if you guys ever wanna check out some art, I draw skeletons on my Instagram @ LynDoesArtStuff

**Author's Note:**

> Please feel free to leave a comment below, and kudos are appreciated!


End file.
